As someone who was basically raised by Goosebumps books, I absolutely love diving into a scary read — especially in the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween season.
Recently, u/LarryStylinson132809asked people on Reddit to share the best horror book they've ever read, and the replies are full of books I need to get my hands on ASAP (and soooo many Stephen King recs. I only included one to make room to highlight other authors, so please let me know why I picked the wrong one in the comments). Here's what people had to say:
1."Currently for me I think it has to be Bird Box by Josh Malerman. It is so scary and nerve wrecking to me even on rereads. It gave me genuine heebie jeebies like no another book has. The movie does not do it justice in the slightest. I am sad none of his other books have been nearly as good but Bird Box is great."
2."Belovedby Toni Morrison. People don’t think of it as horror because of its status as a modern classic that is taught in AP Lit and college classes. But it’s a horror book by any definition."
3."The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. It’s a pretty cliché answer, but there’s a reason for that."
4."Night Film by Marisha Pessl is the creepiest, most unsettling atmosphere I’ve ever read in a book. Delightfully so. It’s about the suicide of the daughter of a reclusive horror film director. It’s an amazing book. Read the print version, because some of the interactive material didn’t transfer to Kindle very well. It’s a fantastic read for horror fans."
5."My favorite has to be The Fisherman. It’s perfect as a piece of literary fiction exploring three people's reactions to grief and loss, but also is absolutely creepy and unsettling at times, and at other times epic and exciting."
6."Annihilation. It's a perfect blend of sci-fi, psychological, cosmic, and body horror, and it’s the best horror novel I’ve ever read. The movie was decent, but the book was AMAZING. I cannot recommend it enough. Shoutout to Authority, it’s sequel, as well. A much different style, but it was so fucking creative I could talk about it for hours."
10."Battle Royale: Remastered by Koushun Takami. The remastered bit is only because it’s a new translation of the novel in English. Incredible horror novel. It was banned from release in Japan in 1996 due to its depictions of child murder, but was eventually released in 1999. The only novel ever released by Koushun Takami."
11."It’s still Dracula for me. It’s such a part of our cultural zeitgeist, that we often conflate it with the countless adaptations and memes that pervade our collective lexicon."
12."Mary: An Awakening of Terror on Audible. An incredible book elevated by a fantastic audio performance. It tells the story of a middle age woman with a mysterious past returning to her home town to care for her sick aunt. She then begins to see dead women all over town. Truly exceptional book."
13."It's not the scariest, but I believe the best horror book I've ever read was Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street. I stayed up until 4 a.m. finishing it because I literally couldn't put it down. It's brutal and utterly heartbreaking, and nothing is ever as it seems."
15."I really vibed with Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw because I am a slut for haunted houses and unreliable narrators."
16."Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk. It’s Canterbury Tales but a bit darker. A bunch of people go on a writer’s retreat in an old abandoned theater for three months to work on their stories. They’re known simply by their sins like 'Comrade Snarky,' 'Reverend Godless,' 'Saint Gut-free,' etc. and basically sabotage their environment to make their suffering greater. Greater suffering equals a better story for the remaining survivors."
18."Audition by Ryu Murakami. A widower who lives with his son decides to start dating and remarry. Adapted into a really fantastic Japanese film, too."
21."A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G Summers. It's about a food critic who cannibalizes the men she sleeps with. It’s not scary (in my opinion) but it stuck with me and i think about it all the time."
22."The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is a wildly engaging, thoughtful ghost story. A more contemporary novel that has similar vibes is Strangers by Taichi Yamada. Ethereal, romantic, scary, sexy, and sad. More thoughtfully frightening than outright scary, but an outstanding read."
23."Anything by Grady Hendrix is solid. I don't like all of his books, but he always has creative ideas, and some genuinely scary/disturbing scenes. Faves include My Best Friend's Exorcism, Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and Horrorstor."
24."Truthfully, World War Z was the first book is a long time to scare me. Reading those first hand accounts during the Great Panic traumatized me, especially the one with the woman stuck with a childlike mind re-acting the night of the church attack. 10/10!"
What are your favorite horror books and why? Let's talk about it in the comments!
